Zesty Green Smoothie: Wake Up Your Taste Buds!

Start your day with a serving of fruit and vegetables with this tasty Zesty Green Smoothie.

Photo byThat Recipe

I stole a page from the Juicy George episode of PBS Kids Curious George when he adds a radish as a secret ingredient to his red juice. It adds a nice little kick to this smoothie to wake up your taste buds.

Smoothies are notorious for thickening upon standing, so make this just before you are ready to drink it.

SMOOTHIES VERSUS JUICES

Both can contain fruit and vegetables, but the key difference in smoothies and juices is fiber.

Smoothies are blended and served as is. They tend to be thick and filling because of the fiber.

Juices strain out the fiber for a thin easy to drink liquid. Because there is no fiber the body can quickly digest it and absorb the nutrients.

To make this as a juice instead: place a metal mesh strainer over a bowl (I use my measuring cup), line it with wet cheesecloth, pour the smoothie into the strainer to remove fiber.

OPTIONS FOR ZESTY GREEN SMOOTHIE

There are no laws in smoothie making. It's true! You can literally add the ingredients you want (or have on hand) and enjoy it without the Food Police showing up at your door.

I think this is best with mild tasting greens like spinach; but, if you like kale, use kale.

If you want to add some protein powder or yogurt, be my guest. You may need to add a bit more juice or water to thin it if you use powder.

Sweeten it with a bit of honey or agave syrup if you want it a bit sweeter. My oranges and apples were on the sweet side so I did not need the extra sweetness.

Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oranges
• 1 apple
• 1 handful spinach or other mild green
• 1-2 radishes
• 1-2 tablespoons moringa leaves or powder, (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Juice oranges, core and chop apple into chunks, trim root and stem from radishes.
• Add ingredients to the blender in order given and process until smooth. Thin with water or apple or orange juice if needed.
• Smoothie will thicken upon standing so drink immediately.